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A DUI crash on I-215 in the early hours after Halloween night claimed the life of one person and sent three more to the hospital. MURRIETA, CA — A fatal DUI crash over the weekend claimed the life of a 30-year-old Riverside woman, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Coroner's Bureau, whose identity was released following notification of next of kin. Joya Brandy died at the scene of the single-car vs. tree crash early Saturday morning, according to the coroner's report. California Highway Patrol is investigating the fatal crash as a probable DUI event. On Saturday, just after 1:30 a.m., a 2022 Toyota Prius, driven by a 28-year-old female, Andrea Margarita Villalta, from Los Angeles, CA, was traveling southbound on I-215, just north of Murrieta Hot Springs Road. Villalta had four other adults inside her car at the time of the collision, including Brandy, who died as a result of the crash, an unidentified 28-year-old San Diego man, and two Los Angeles women, aged 25 and 28 years old, according to Officer Mike Lassig of the CHP. For reasons under investigation, Villalta steered the Toyota Prius off the roadway and onto the right-hand shoulder, continuing southbound travel, until slamming into a tree. "The Toyota Prius crashed at a high rate of speed, just west of the freeway traffic lanes," Officer Lassig said. The Temecula Valley CHP, along with the City of Murrieta Fire Department, responded to the crash scene. A 30-year-old female passenger, later identified as Brandy, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The three other passengers and the driver suffered significant injuries as a result of this traffic collision and were taken by ambulance to local hospitals, according to Lassig's report. The driver suffered minor injuries and was also taken to the hospital. "It was determined by CHP investigators that Villalta was driving under the influence of alcohol and was placed under arrest for felony DUI," Lassig said. Villalta was ultimately booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Facility for Felony DUI. She was released from the Southwest Detention Center on $60,000 bond. She was due to appear in court on December 17, at the Murrieta Southwest Justice Center on charges of Gross Vehicular Manslaughter while intoxicated with alcohol, DUI with alcohol causing bodily injury, and DUI of .08 with Alcohol with injury, according to jail records. "The CHP, Temecula Area office, is conducting this traffic collision investigation," Lassig said. "Witnesses are urged to contact CHP, Temecula Area at (951) 466-4300. The CHP would like to remind the motoring public always to designate a sober driver. If you drink, don’t drive."
